Alejandro Mayorkas, the US Secretary of Homeland Security, assured that there is proof of an increase in Ecuadorian migration to his nation through a statement on the Twitter account of the US Embassy in Ecuador.
Mayorkas mentioned that many Ecuadorians who emigrate are repatriated after crossing the border, although he could not provide specific numbers.
The US official said, “It’s very sad when people risk their lives and travel great distances only to discover they don’t qualify.”
Mayorkas refers to the new immigration law that has been in effect in the US since January 2023 but does not apply to Ecuadorians in his statement.
The law states that only for humanitarian reasons can the US accept up to 30,000 migrants per month from Venezuela, Cuba, Nicaragua, and Haiti.
Additionally, Mexico has reported an uptick of Ecuadorian migrants at the US border.
Five thousand eight hundred eight captures of fellow compatriots were reported in January 2023, 2,260% more than in the same month the year before.
While over 10,527 Ecuadorians were caught at unauthorized crossings last year, according to figures from the US Border Patrol.
